Job Description: Counsellor
Position Purpose: The purpose of this position is to provide professional counselling services
to Massey University students in order to enhance their personal wellbeing
and academic performance, thereby promoting student retention and
positive academic and emotional outcomes.
Department: Student Counselling | te ratonga hauora
Location: Wellington
Reports to: Team Leader: Student Counselling
Status: Permanent

Delegations: Delegation Band B
Job Title: Counsellor
Key relationships: Internal External
Health & Counselling Centre Local and national service providers
colleagues on other campuses Health Agencies including local and
Student Experience Services national service providers
Halls of Residence Appropriate pastoral care and
Chaplains support agencies.
Student Care team Other tertiary education providers.
Student representative bodies and
associations
Massey University: We are a world-leading university in many academic disciplines and fields of
research. Our point of difference is research that is connected to
community and industry. Our researchers are developing expertise and
skills to advance human knowledge and understanding. Working together
across disciplines and locations, we solve national and global problems
through fundamental, applied and interdisciplinary research, while
culturally and artistically enriching our world.

We are deeply committed to being a Te Tiriti-led university, demonstrating
authentic leadership in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand as we uphold
Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the founding document of our nation, and its principles
through our practice. We embrace this not just as an obligation but as a real
opportunity for the nation and its people.

Our educators are preparing a new generation of global leaders. Our
students are diverse and are attracted to Massey because they want to
achieve their personal goals or make their mark in the world. They
experience world-class learning that recognises their intellectual and
cultural strengths, expands their horizons and prepares them to contribute
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to a rapidly transforming world with skills, critical and creative thinking and
leadership.
We will be renowned for our passion and caring attitude. All Massey
campuses will be innovation ecosystems, acting as magnets for smart
enterprises. Wherever we are, we will operate in partnerships founded on
respect, trust and mutual benefit. Massey is not only defined by what we
do, but by how we do it.
The Counselling team is an integral part of the Health Centre on each
About this area
campus and provides short term counselling to minimise the impact of
emotional issues on academic performance. Therefore, collaboration with
other team on the campus as well as community agencies is critical. Our
work is underpinned by a robust Student Wellbeing and Safety Strategy
endorsed by the University.
Massey core capabilities
At Massey we are Tiriti-led, upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles through our practice, we:

• Demonstrate awareness of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand

society.

• Understand the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in relation to the work of the University and

the people we serve.

• Embracing Te Reo in relevant and practical ways in our workplace interactions and engagement

with external stakeholders, giving expression to Tikanga Māori and protocols that
demonstrates that we respect and value Māori conventions in appropriate settings.At Massey we work together with mutual respect and caring. we:

• Act with integrity and trustworthiness and give credit to others for the work they do.
• Work cooperatively and inter-dependently to foster and promote the One University approach.
• Share knowledge and communicate professionally with courtesy and mutual respect.
• Are ethical in all transactions, working within the parameters of our policies and procedures.
• Are direct, truthful and maintain confidentiality.
• Seek to understand and appreciate our differences.
• Keep ourselves and others safe; work together to embrace with the University's health, safety

and wellbeing policies, procedures and programmes; display commitment by actively
supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives: and by actively engaging in health and safety
improvement opportunities.
At Massey we are future-focused, results- oriented and strive for excellence. we:

• Take ownership and responsibility for delivering results to support achievement of University

objectives.

• Provide the best quality services to our customers (internal and external) ensuring our

students/ stakeholders are at the heart of everything we do.

• Deliver or support world-class research, teaching and learning and citizenship.
• Take personal responsibility for our performance, take pride in doing our job well, and commit

to ongoing personal and professional development.

• Are motivated and create a positive working environment where our values are reinforced.

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• Anticipate and respond with agility and resilience to the changing needs of the University and

the communities we serve.

• Seek ways to improve our services to deliver in an efficient and effective way.
• Embrace technology and apply this innovatively to better meet the needs of those we serve.
• Challenge ourselves to reach our potential and help bring out the best in others.
• Understand how what we do contributes to the objectives of the University.

Accountabilities
Accountability 1 • Assist individuals to deal with problems adversely impacting their
Deliver core functioning as students by providing appropriate, timely counselling,
professional including assessment, advocacy, and dispute resolution support.
counselling services to • Manage a relatively high-volume caseload across a diverse spectrum of
enrolled students. presenting problems, client histories and mental health concerns. While
the Service is neither an emergency service nor a mental health service,
clients may present with mental health issues and / or in crisis.

• Ability to work in typically short-term modalities, interventions, and

frameworks (often six sessions or less), with the competency to
ascertain the needs of clients who require more in a clear fashion.

• Ability to work in evidence-based models of practice, including a

foundation in person-centred frameworks and an understanding of
development, cognition, trauma, affect regulation, change processes
and relational functioning.Accountability 2 • Designing and delivering presentations and workshops as required
Support colleagues to • Advise and support other staff across the university in matters of
provide outreach and student mental health and wellbeing.
wellbeing services • Work effectively with academic support services, including the
across the provision of evaluation and support regarding impaired performance
Campus and Aegrotat responses.

• Regularly assess and evaluate the wellness needs of students across the

university and provide ongoing feedback to managementAccountability 3 • Maintain accurate, concise, timely and confidential records in
Undertake accordance with the health centre’s policies, legal requirements, and
administrative best practice standards.
functions as related to • Complete required support documentation for students professionally
counselling role and efficiently.
Accountability 4 • Work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team across the
Relationship Building campus & liaise with medical staff to provide comprehensive holistic care.

• Support all students in sensitive and appropriate manner, including Māori

and Pasifika students as well as those in the Rainbow and neurodivergent
communities.

• Ensure students receive appropriate access to relevant services in

community, online and university networks of support by developing and
maintaining awareness of and relationships with agencies, organisations,
and offerings and by developing functional partnerships.3

• Develop, foster, and maintain high quality professional relationships with

administrative staff of the health centre.Qualifications and Experience
Qualifications: • Professional tertiary level qualification in Counselling, psychotherapy,
Social Work or Psychology.

• Current registration and practicing certificate as evidence of full

registration in the respective profession. High quality professional experience that demonstrates competency in
Experience:
delivering counselling and psychological services to students and/or
similar client groups, to include:

• Aptitude in building rapport, clinical engagement, and establishing a

therapeutic relationship.

• Competence in assessment and intervention across a diversity of

needs and populations.

• Demonstrated skills and abilities to work in shorter-term and

evidence-based psychotherapeutic frameworks.

• Demonstrated competence with crisis intervention and referral,

concepts of distress tolerance and affect regulation, trauma
responses and sequelae, motivation, and relational dynamics.

• Sensitivity in working with a variety of cultural and language

backgrounds, including Maori and Pasifika students and those in the
LGBTQI+ community.

• Experience working in the health sector and/or in multidisciplinary

teams.

• Commitment to reflective practice and both peer and

individual/external supervision.

• Experience and/or comfort in provision of outreach programmes and

psychoeducation, as well as health promotion.
Experience and competence in electronic record keeping and
documentation systems. Capabilities - Behaviour
Communication • Sound ethical frameworks and an ethical, evidence-based approach to all
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• Communicate in writing with clients and colleagues in a clear, helpful,

and respectful manner.

• Ability to communicate effectively during crises and communicate with

systems of referral in an effective and responsive fashion.Presentation Skills • Able to communicate effectively in written and oral forms with staff
Teamwork • Ability to work well in a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.

• Ability to work flexibly according to the needs of the clients and of the Essential

service. Supporting the • Working knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi, and an understanding of
values of the different cultural approaches to health and wellbeing.
Health Centre • Commitment to principles of wellbeing.

• Knowledge of the health system and related political issues. Essential

Flexibility • Occasional flexibility in working hours to accommodate the requirements of emergency or crisis situations, or to participate in university-wide
Essential
initiatives such as orientation week.
Projects and • To carry out other duties which may reasonably be required by your
other duties manager from time to time in the course of the University’s business and
which fit the role’s purpose as stated, and for which the position holder is Essential
qualified or has received adequate training or instruction.

• To participate in Emergency Management Training and to be part of the

EM team when requiredAdministration • A strong ability to utilise computer skills, particularly those related to
effective note keeping, communication with others and running of
Essential appointments.
Pre-employment checks
Essential • Requirement to pass a Qualifications Validation Check.

• Requirement to pass a Criminal and Traffic Convictions (Security)

Check performed by the Ministry of Justice.

• A safety check in accordance with the Vulnerable Children Act 2014

and the Vulnerable Children (Requirements for Safety Checks of
Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015 is required. Part of this
process includes a requirement to pass the police vetting part of the
safety check.
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